Edwin F. Church Medal

The Edwin F. Church Medal, established in 1972, is awarded to an individual who has rendered eminent service in increasing the value, importance and attractiveness of mechanical engineering education. Education is used here in its broadest sense of preparation for any aspect or level of mechanical engineering through any appropriate mechanism including universities, technical institutes, professional society educational activities, continuing education programs of professional societies and private groups, in-house professional development programs of industrial concerns and governmental agencies, programmed learning and self-instruction systems.

Nominees may or may not be professional educators. However, the award is not intended to recognize professional educators on that merit alone.

The ‘eminent service’ to be considered for the award as performed by the professional educator must be above and beyond the nominee’s normal activities. Excellence in teaching, research, administration and publications by professional engineering educators is not pertinent unless that activity is outside the usual scope of the nominee’s organization or institution.

The Edwin F. Church Medal may be made to one recipient of any age who need not be a member of ASME. It is administered by the General Awards Committee which secures nominations and makes recommendations to the Committee on Honors which selects the recipient.

The Church Medal was established from a bequest of Edwin F. Church, Jr. (1879-1964), loyal member of ASME, devoted supporter of ASME student activities, dedicated teacher, and for thirty-two years professor of mechanical engineering and head of the department at the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn.